Parade of planets, meteor showers to mark 2026

A series of remarkable astronomical phenomena will be witnessed in 2026 and easily accessible through the International Astronomy Centre's free application, Astronomy Events, serving as a daily guide to the most important astronomical events to be anticipated.

- Meera Al Rashdi, Staff Reporter

The astronomical events to take place in 2026 include an annular solar eclipse on February 17, visible from Antarctica, a total lunar eclipse on March 3, visible from the Pacific Ocean, said Eng. Mohammed Shawkat Odeh, Director of the International Astronomy Center.

They also include a total solar eclipse on August 12, visible from Europe and potentially visible as a partial eclipse from the western part of the Arab world and a partial lunar eclipse on August 28, visible from most parts of the Arab world, he added.

Talking about the most prominent meteor showers of 2026, Odeh said the beginning of 2026 would witness a distinctive astronomical start with the Quadrantids meteor shower on Saturday, January 3.

This is one of the strongest annual meteor showers in terms of number and brightness of meteors, with more than 100 meteors per hour at the peak of its activity, he added.

This meteor shower is also famous for the appearance of bright fireballs though the observation conditions this year would be less ideal due to the peak coinciding with the full moon, he said.